Time away from fighting provided life perspective for UFC Fight Night 25's Brookins

NEW ORLEANS – When Jonathan Brookins (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters the cage on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 25 event, he’ll have lost about 10 pounds since he claimed tournament victory on “The Ultimate Fighter 12.”

But Brookins – who admits at 26 years old, he’s still learning about both MMA and life – says he’s gained something much more important: perspective.

“I got out and I went saw everything from one area of the country all the way to the West Coast,” Florida resident Brookins told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “By the time I got there, I figured out everything I wanted was already back in Florida. It’s one of those things I would have never known unless I went and did it.”

Brookins first gained national exposure as an early opponent of then-WEC newcomer Jose Aldo. With his unique look and trademark locks, Brookins became known to many as “the guy who fought Aldo.” But after a successful 155-pound run on “TUF 12,” he started developing a name for himself rather than one derived from his opponents.

But just as he appeared primed to start his octagon run, Brookins was pulled from a planned fight with John Makdessi at UFC 129 in favor of a June fight with Jeremy Stephens. A broken orbital then forced him out of that matchup, meaning Brookins hasn’t fought since this claiming the “TUF 12″ title this past December.

However, Brookins said he used the time to focus on himself, and the efforts have been fruitful.

“I was a little disappointed,” Brookins admitted. “I just feel like I didn’t really get it together in the time that I had being in the house. It was just overwhelming. It was all my fault. I couldn’t really get it together.

“I had the most abundant amount of support – people reaching out to me. I’ve got a lot of internal things to work out. I feel like I’m getting really close to doing that and accomplishing that. I couldn’t ask for a better sport to be a part of and a better corporation to fight for. I’m real thankful to be here right now.”

During his layoff, Brookins decided not only to stay in Florida but also to return to featherweight, the division in which he competed prior to “TUF 12.”

“I just felt like lightweight wasn’t really working out for me,” Brookins said. “I was having a string of bad luck and wasn’t really getting in the cage, so I figured if I dropped down to 145, I might supercharge me a little bit – it might keep me motivated. It kind of did its trick. I’m about to fight. I think it was the right thing to do.”

Brookins now fights Erik Koch (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the main card of Saturday night’s Spike TV-broadcast event, which takes place at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The once-beaten Koch, who is already calling for a title shot, will prove a stern test for Brookins’ 145-pound return, but he said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Erik Koch is a tough kid,” Brookins said. “He’s been knocking everybody out. I know he means business. I know he trains with tough people all around.

“They really set me up with somebody. That’s really cool, though. If I really want to make it in this sport and climb the ladder, these are the type of people I need to fight and beat to accomplish that. So here it is. See what you’re made of.”

And that’s what Brookins most hopes to do. Introspective by nature, Brookins has gone from “the guy who fought Aldo” to “TUF 12″ champion, all while learning about himself and the sport of MMA. It’s two journeys at once, and Brookins can’t wait to continue them both on Saturday night.

“I think once I made it all the way out and made it to the West Coast, I realized there’s a lot of beautiful things, but everything I really needed was right in my backyard, so I went home and focused myself and my energy a little bit different and started to kind of search for the greater good,” Brookins said. “I just hope I can really excel in the cage while still going through that life-learning process outside of the cage. They’re both very important to me.”

From Our Partners

The Latest

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.